Fergie defends team selection

Ferguson only introduced Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes an hour into the 1-0 home defeat to West Ham, while Nemanja Vidic remained on the bench and Rio Ferdinand spent the entire game in the stands.

SIR ALEX FERGUSON has defended his Manchester United team selection in the face of a bitter attack from Neil Warnock and insisted the Red Devils could have done no more to keep Sheffield United in the Premiership.

Ferguson only introduced Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes an hour into the 1-0 home defeat to West Ham, while Nemanja Vidic remained on the bench and Rio Ferdinand spent the entire game in the stands.

Having declared his intention to field the strongest side possible, Ferguson’s line-up met with fury from Warnock, especially as the Hammers swept to an unexpected win through Carlos Tevez’s sole strike which kept them in the top flight at the Blades’ expense.

But Ferguson does not believe he has any need to reproach himself and feels once Warnock has had a chance to watch a replay of the game, he will know the Red Devils did not let the South Yorkshire outfit down.

“I feel for Sheffield United but we did our best and I don’t think anyone can criticise us,” argued Ferguson.

“We had 25 strikes at goal, we had four shots knocked off the line and we had a stonewall penalty turned down. When Neil Warnock sees the stats of our game, he will understand we were unlucky.

“The first half was a one-horse race, then they scored right at the end of it, which was disappointing for us but they got encouragement from it.

“We had our best team on the field at the end but we won the title last week and it is understandable that took the edge off our game a little bit, so in that sense it was a good time for West Ham to play us.”

Having made no secret of the fact West Ham boss Alan Curbishley is one of his oldest friends in the management game, it is little wonder Ferguson’s team should attract Warnock’s suspicion.

However, having won six of their eight games prior to the Old Trafford trip, Ferguson felt the Londoners were the form team heading into the fateful final weekend.

“West Ham have been in championship form,” he said. “They were the team in the best form coming into these fixtures today.

“Whether West Ham should be in the league is not for me to say but their keeper made a couple of fantastic saves at the end and we did all we could.”

Meanwhile, Alan Curbishley has accused West Ham’s relegation rivals of losing their focus amid the inquiry into the Carlos Tevez-Javier Mascherano registration row.

“It is out of my hands but I do not think the decision will be overturned,” said Curbishley.

“It is something that happened before I got to the club but the Premier League have had their inquiry and given their verdict.

“All we could do was concentrate on playing football but maybe other people have concentrated on it (the verdict) a bit too much.”

After a run of seven wins from nine games, he was able to salute his players.

“We have been public enemy number one,” he said. “It has dragged on a lot and we have received another barrage of criticism this week.

“It seems ever since I have been at the club there has been negative publicity.

“We have contributed to some of that with our form and a few other things that have made their way into the papers but it seems the signings of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano were the start of the bandwagon.”